This year we are looking for startups in the retail/apparel, food & beverage or consumer products/beauty sectors founded or run by alumni of color, other minorities, or providing a product or service that addresses challenges disproportionately impacting communities of color, to participate in an upcoming event co-sponsored by the Wharton Retail Network and the Wharton Alumni Angel Network (WAAN). Whether you’re actively raising capital now or preparing for the future, this is a unique opportunity to showcase your business and build relationships with a strong network of seasoned angel investors.

We will invite a select group of entrepreneurs to give brief presentations (~7 minutes) to an audience of angel investors and Wharton Retail Network attendees, as well as other members of the alumni investment community, followed by a few minutes of Q&A. Presenters will have the opportunity to get feedback from both the angel investors and other investors who will be in attendance. There will be a networking session to follow. While we will limit presenters to six for this event and will have time allotted to introductions and networking in which any company meeting submission criteria can participate.

This event will take place on January 21, 2021 in New York City either virtually or in person. This will be determined at a later date.

Who Should Apply?

To be eligible for consideration you should:

• Be a startup thinking about raising around $50,000 to $2 million
• Operate in the retail/apparel, food & beverage or consumer products/beauty sectors
• Be founded or currently run by Wharton or Penn alumni of color or have a product or service that addresses challenges disproportionately impacting communities of color.

This event will provide access to a network of potential investors, mentors, and advisors, so we strongly encourage any start-ups that fit the criteria above to apply.

In order to apply, please email whrn@whartonny.com by October 15, 2020. This is a firm deadline:
 

• An executive summary (intro to your product, what makes the business special, etc.)
• A brief pitch deck (that would be the foundation or starting point for your presentation), covering key topics such as
  • Product description
  • Target consumer
  • Key relationships (wholesale, suppliers, etc.)
  • Competitive overview / differentiation
  • Go to market strategy or growth plan
  • Bios of partners / key staff
• Any other materials that would be helpful (e.g. press coverage, video about the product, financial projections if any, etc.)

Once we receive and review materials, we will choose 6 entrepreneurs to present their pitch on January 21, 2021. Only presenters will be notified by December 31, 2020. Those who are not invited to make presentations can still send one representative to the meeting to participate in networking. Please provide only information you are willing to share with reviewers, and if invited to present with all participants in meeting.

Please send submissions to whrn@whartonny.com.